School cafeterias put health, safety first

"All the food's good," Phimmasone said. "I really like when they make spaghetti."

Nationwide reports about contaminated foods, from peanut butter to produce, put food safety in the spotlight.

Thousands of students eat breakfast and lunch at 51 campuses in Amarillo Independent School District. Cafeterias are subject to health inspections at least twice a year, but inspectors aim to visit school cafeterias more frequently, said Deree Duke, director of the environmental health division for the Bi-City-County Health District.

"We usually try to be in them about every 60 days just because they're feeding kids," Duke said. "Kids are special."

A team of seven sanitarians makes the routine, unannounced visits to food service establishments in Potter and Randall counties. They look for potential violations in 29 categories.

Some violations are fixed on the spot. For other violations, inspectors make return visits.

Officials with the child nutrition department for Amarillo Independent School District take a number of steps to ensure the safety and quality of cafeteria food.

Three supervisors within the child nutrition department inspect cafeterias every day, said Brent Hoover, department director. Their checklist includes dozens of items related to sanitation.

The department conducts monthly training sessions with campus food service managers to review policies and procedures, Hoover said. The February meeting included a reminder to label foods with times and dates.

Workers record the time and date food went out in the serving line, Hoover said. They dispose of foods left out too long.

Food service employees also routinely check the temperature of foods, Hoover said. A commercial thermometer is the easiest tool for preventing food-borne illnesses.

AISD cafeterias

** The Child Nutrition Department for Amarillo Independent School District reported on the most recent results of health inspections conducted this school year.

** Inspectors, known as sanitarians, with the environmental health department aim to make unannounced visits about every 60 days to school cafeterias. They conduct at least two inspections per year.

** The average number of demerits given for violations is 15 throughout food service establishments in Potter and Randall counties.

** No campus in Amarillo ISD received more than 15 demerits, though most campuses had no major violations.

** Major violations consist of improper cooking techniques or practices that could result in food-borne illnesses. Those include not keeping foods at proper temperatures or employees not washing their hands.

A maintenance worker dedicated to the child nutrition department ensures that equipment is working, from the coolers to the ovens, Hoover said. The department also tracks the life span of equipment, which is replaced on a set schedule.

At Emerson Elementary School, lunch begins at

10:30 a.m. and ends at 1:20 p.m., said Principal Melissa Schooler, who also ate in the cafeteria Tuesday.

"It was great," she said.

During the last inspection Dec. 13, inspectors found no major violations at the Emerson cafeteria.

About 600 students attend Emerson, and the cafeteria serves more than 500 students daily, said Linda Roberts, child nutrition manager who supervises four other cafeteria workers. Her crew serves breakfast and lunch to students in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. They prepare snacks daily for students who stay after school for tutoring.

The team of five works to make sure hot food is served hot and cold food is served cold, Roberts said.

"It takes all of us," said Roberts, who hopped between managing the lunch line and resupplying foods in the lunch line Tuesday. "You do your best. We always have to stay on top of things."